The multi-agency Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) is committed to working with the Department for Transport, Kent County Council, Kent Police, Port of Dover, Eurotunnel, local authorities and Highways England to prepare for any traffic disruption on Kent’s roads, following the end of the Brexit Transition Period.

This document outlines the plans that have been developed to ensure the M20 can be kept open to traffic and that disruption for local residents, businesses and other road users is kept to a minimum, in addition to plans for temporary traffic holding areas, under a reasonable worst-case scenario.

The KRF is also planning for a wide range of other contingencies, including the welfare of those drivers and passengers who may be delayed in queues for long periods of time and communities that may be impacted as a consequence of the traffic management plans. Plans have considered concurrent incidents, including Covid-19 and severe weather.

Any additional border controls will have a direct impact on Kent from 01 January 2021, in terms of the increased likelihood of disruption to the short straits and the
need for multi-agency management of the consequences. This document sets out the Kent Resilience Forum’s plans to mitigate traffic disruption in Kent as a result of the Brexit Transition Period ending.

These plans have been developed with the key aim of keeping the M20 open and moving at times of disruption, and that Operation Brock be developed as a preferred
response option to Operation Stack. Following intensive work by all partners, the Kent Resilience Forum is now confident that these plans can deliver a multi-agency response to anticipated disruption as a result of friction at the borders.

It is important to note that these plans have been developed in line with Central Government planning assumptions and the Operation Brock infrastructure commissioned by the DfT and delivered by Highways England. The plans are also being incorporated into communications around managing Kent and wider national
disruption.

The Operation Fennel Plan is designed to cope with 7,000 HGVs which is the maximum queue length of HGVs expected in Kent, as detailed in the national reasonable worst case scenario (RWCS) planning assumptions.

The multi-agency Kent Resilience Forum will continue to develop these plans further as we head towards the 31st December and partners are moving to fully resource
and train staff in line with the operational requirements.